


Regrets and Second Chances

by scrollingthroughships



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bechloe is Endgame, F/F, Fluff, Romance, bechloe - Freeform, pitch perfect (2012) - Freeform, pre pitch perfect 2, some Beca/Jesse to get through
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-02 13:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13319004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrollingthroughships/pseuds/scrollingthroughships
Summary: Set a month after ICCA finals in the first movie, Beca can’t deal with having cheated on her new boyfriend with one of her best friends, who also happens to be in love with her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I began this way back in 2013, before the sequels were released, and only finished it off recently. Backstory etc will be different to PP2 and PP3, I just ran with my own ideas for our leading ladies. Takes place a month after the first movie. Enjoy!x

**Monday - 3pm - one month after ICCA finals**

Aubrey Posen thanked the bus driver with a smile as he passed her bag out from the side luggage compartment. She was looking forward to a shower after the long drive from the _University of Central Florida_ back to _Barden University_ outside Atlanta. Her collegiate a cappella group the _Barden Bellas_ had performed at an Invitational as the current _International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella_ Nationals winners. 

Being the first all female group to do so meant they were in high demand for appearances and interviews. The group had agreed to accept a few offers to perform in the two months before final exams began. They recorded a track as part of a _“Best of College a cappella”_ compilation album the week before, so there had been a lot of celebrating and very little studying done that week. With less than a month left before exams started, things were starting to wind down for the group, with only one performance left in the last school term of the year. As outgoing _Barden Bellas_ captain, Aubrey was anxious not to forget about final exams in the wake of all the excitement with the Bellas.

Aubrey rolled her neck, having spent the past seven hours in and out sleep on the thankfully air-conditioned bus. Her normally perfect blonde hair didn’t have its usual bounce as she attempted to rustle up some volume with her fingers. They had partied hard on their last night in Orlando and once everyone was safely on the bus, Aubrey had grabbed her pillow and thrown herself into the front seat to crash and hopefully recover. Some of the Bellas had sang silly mash-ups or attempted to rap, choruses of giggles and shouts erupting every now and then to jolt her from her dozing. 

The year had started off with uncertainty for Aubrey. She saw the dream she had since she became a freshman, to win the _ICAA_ Nationals, slip away when her nerves caused the biggest on stage fuck up and embarrassment of her life the year before. Things turned around though when the group of girls which formed the current _Barden Bellas_ finally came together and blew the competition out of the water. Aubrey was relishing these past few weeks as Champions; the perfect way to end her undergraduate career at the University.

“Beca, wait!”

Aubrey jumped as she heard her best friend and fellow senior, Chloe Beale shouting frantically from the steps of the bus. Freshman Beca Mitchell blew past her with a huff, shoving her headphones over her ears. In one swift movement, Beca grabbed the handle of her rolling suitcase before continuing her angry stride towards campus, the wheels of her bag banging noisily along the concrete behind her. She appeared almost comical to Aubrey, her petite frame struggling with the luggage, her alternative, impassive appearance in contrast to the girly storm off she was executing so well.

Although polar opposites, Aubrey had learned a lot over the past year, due to Beca’s invaluable inclusion in their singing group. It took her a long time to drop her walls and listen to what Beca had to offer. When she finally did, she realised how much talent and passion the younger girl could bring to the equation. She finally respected Beca...just not her taste in fashion or accessories.

Chloe clambered over the suitcases next to the bus she had just alighted, trying to catch up with Beca who was now veering off towards the _Baker Hall_ dorm rooms. Chloe looked tired and stressed, walking past her best friend without a glance, her eyes glued to the brunette ahead. Chloe wore her heart on her sleeve and it was always easy to see when the girl was stressed. Right now, Aubrey could see that Chloe was downright ready to fall apart.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and was about to call out to Chloe to find out what was going on, when she was joined by two fellow _Bellas_ , Cynthia-Rose Adams and Stacie Conrad. Their full-on personalities had been difficult for Aubrey to come to terms with but she found them endearing all the same.

“Damn, those two are so dramatic!” Cynthia-Rose sang the last word as she leaned her elbow on Stacie’s shoulder to take up a casual pose.

Aubrey looked to Stacie who was filing her nails and nodding in agreement with Cynthia-Rose. “Damn straight. They totally need to bang already.” Aubrey’s eyebrows shot up as she gaped at the two girls who were oblivious to her shocked expression.

“Aca- _scuse_ me?” Aubrey questioned, leaving her bag fall backwards to the ground with a softened thud.

The two girls shared a look before another Bella, the self-titled Fat Amy interrupted. “My gaydar is probably the best in all of Tasmania and those two have been sending it into overdrive all week. I mean, Cynthia-Rose, no offence, you set my lesbo spider senses off the first time I met you. But those two are ridiculous. I have a friend in Tasmania who’s a lesbian and she and I used to wrestle crocodiles the whole time...that wasn’t a euphemism by the way...”

The other three girls waited for the larger blonde to finish the tangent she had, as usual, diverted onto. She was likely to come out with anything and Aubrey found her to be a hilarious addition to the group.

“Okay,” Aubrey said, shaking her head as if to displace a meddling fog inside. “Amy, what...the hell are you talking about? And Stacie, what -?” The blonde captain looked clueless and frustrated, wondering if there was in fact something going on between her best friend Chloe and the influential new girl, Beca. She knew they had become close friends over the year and that they had spent a good deal of time together during their recent trip but she didn’t understand where the insinuations were coming from. “You guys, Chloe is straight. She has a boyfriend.”

“Well,” Fat Amy interjected with a slow drawl, “he’s more of a fuck buddy, isn’t he? If we had to categorise him, put him into a little box...”

“Amy!”

“What?” she held her hands up in nonchalant defence. “That’s what I heard! I’m not judging, I have a few guys to bump uglies with myself.”

“Whatever, he’s a guy, and Chloe has been...getting intimate with him for the past year so unless I’m mistaken that makes her pretty straight.”

“Or pretty bi.”

Stacie regretted her interruption when she got a death glare from Aubrey.

“I’ve lived with Chloe for four years, I think I’d know if she was _bisexual_ ,” Aubrey rambled, somewhat to herself.

“What does it matter Posen, I know you got a stick up your butt most of the time but I didn’t think you were a homophobe,” Cynthia-Rose said with a defensive frown.

“I’m not – ” Aubrey started before exhaling with a groan. “I am _not_ , a homophobe.”

“Then why do you care so much?” Cynthia-Rose knew she was pushing the blonde but she was annoyed at Aubrey’s ignorance of what was happening.

“I don’t! I just – Chloe’s my best friend, she’d tell me if there was something going on with her and Beca.”

She was met with silence and unconvincing shoulder shrugs from the girls who were looking at her with expressions that said _‘sure dude, whatever you wana tell yourself’_. Aubrey sighed and spotted Jesse Swanson, Beca’s recently turned boyfriend heading towards them with a single rose and a boyband-worthy smile.

“Welcome home ladies! How was the Sunshine State?”

Aubrey always found the freshman to be adorable and felt a sudden wave of panic as Jesse innocently asked, “where’s Beca?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Jesus Beca, will you just _stop_ already!”

Chloe was exasperated, having chased the girl across campus while wearing heels. The smaller freshman was surprisingly fast with a carry-on and had blocked out the redhead’s attempts to call out to her, with music blasting from her headphones. Chloe blew a strand of her red hair out of her face with a shaky breath after grabbing Beca’s arm and stopping her, just outside the brunette’s dorm room.

Now that she was finally standing in front of the other girl, her mind went blank. She tried to regulate her erratic breathing after the chase and smoothed out any displaced hair before Beca dropped her tensed shoulders and turned to face her. Chloe looked at her imploringly with sparkling blue eyes until Beca looked away and removed her headphones, the bass audible in the background. Beca busied herself with removing the jack from her iPod and wrapping the cord around her headphones. She threw them on top of her bag, cursing inwardly as she realised that didn’t take up as much stalling time as she had hoped.

“Beca, please stop ignoring me. We need to talk about wh-”

“We don’t need to talk.”

“Beca –”

“Dude, jus-” Beca interrupted holding a hand up, her emotions too haywire at this moment to have any desire for a serious conversation. “Can you just...can I just...I need to be on my own right now.”

Chloe’s eyes began to glisten and a few tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Beca stared at the floor, wishing Chloe wasn’t standing in front of her filled with anguish. It made walking away so unbelievably hard.

“So what, you fuck me and that’s it?”

“Chloe –”

“What, you just wanted to get in my pants? Nice Beca, real nice...”

“Jesus Chloe would you just shut up for one second?” Beca said, balling up her fists at her side. She had spent the bus ride back from Orlando over-thinking and making herself more annoyed with every mile. She knew she would only be argumentative if they were to have a serious conversation before she could first blow off some steam. She regretted telling Chloe to shut up, but she was annoyed with her for persistently attempting to push the conversation since the early hours of the morning. Beca dug her nails further into her right hand and shoved her left into her pocket to stop herself from reaching out to Chloe who was smudging her mascara with her jerky attempts to wipe under her eyes. The senior sniffled and looked at the wall momentarily, willing herself to be strong and to keep her emotions in check. She could cry all she wanted when she was back in her own dorm room, but she didn’t want to fall apart in front of someone who was rejecting her.

“It’s about more than that and you know it Chloe.”

Beca’s voice was softer now and made Chloe’s heart skip a beat. She knew what Beca was specifically referring to; how Chloe had told her she was in love with Beca right after they had made love. Beca had frozen, immediately throwing on her clothes and running from the room with a lame excuse. She had avoided Chloe’s calls and texts and ignored her on the bus ride back to Barden.

“I know,” Chloe said, not trusting her voice to say more.

Beca could hear Chloe holding back a sob behind the simple words, and she wanted to run right now. Run to a bar, to a club, to a freakin’ cardio workout class, she didn’t care. She just couldn’t deal with offering Chloe support when she needed to sort her own head out. She had never cheated before. She had never really been in a relationship either, but she certainly didn’t see herself as the type that would cheat on her boyfriend only a month after they officially got together. The guilt and the stress were causing a throbbing pain to emanate from behind her eyes. With every glance she chanced at Chloe, her head pounded a little harder.

“I have a boyfriend Chloe, we shouldn’t have...” Beca gave up her attempt to finish the sentence when Chloe seemed to suddenly find resolve, levelling Beca with a piercing glare. Beca shrank back, a shaky breath all she could manage.

“You weren’t exactly thinking about him last night Beca,” she said sharply. Beca could feel her cheeks getting warm as the memories of only a few hours previous snuck into the forefront of her mind. Beca was now ringing her hands together, the conversation getting her flustered. How did she get into such a mess? “Can you honestly tell me,” Chloe said, inching closer, a sultry tone to her voice, “that you can walk away from this? From me? You know there’s something between us Beca.”

Beca could feel Chloe’s breath hitting her cheek at fast intervals, Chloe’s fingertips trailing up her arm, making it impossible for Beca not to shiver. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a step back. She needed to get away from her. Her senses were going into overdrive. That damn perfume; it got her every time. Treacherous goosebumps were chasing the path of Chloe’s slow caress until she stopped to gently cup the back of Beca’s neck.

Beca was frozen. On one hand, she wanted to let Chloe continue her teasing movements, just like the night before. It had led to Beca’s eyes rolling back in her head as she whispered a shaky “fuck, Chloe” before initiating the first of the night’s heated embraces. If there were no external factors, then that option would win hands down. She would allow herself to succumb to Chloe Beale and her ability to make her weak at the knees. However, on the other, more realistic hand, she was going to break the girl’s heart if she let her carry on.

Beca took another step back, startling herself when her back hit the door. “Chloe...” she said with little conviction, bringing Chloe’s hand away from her neck. “I can’t...”

“Then why the hell _did_ you?” Chloe whispered, pulling her arm away and wrapping it around herself.

“Beccaw!”

Both girls jumped as the tension was sent sky-rocketing by Jesse’s oblivious greeting from the other end of the hallway. Beca’s eyes widened as Chloe mumbled an uncharacteristic “motherfucker” and rolled her eyes. His timing was impeccable. Beca’s eyes briefly snapped to Chloe and she almost smirked at this petulant, fired up side to her fellow _Bella_ until she remembered the third party who was heading their way. She could feel Chloe’s eyes boring into her as she watched her boyfriend approach. Her attempts to mask her fear with a smile caused her headache to go full throttle.

“M’ lady,” he greeted, leaning in to give the rigid brunette a kiss on the cheek and handing her a rose. “I apologise Chloe, I only brought one clichéd welcome home present.” He grinned towards the senior whose forced smile didn’t reach her eyes. Chloe nodded stiffly a few times as Jesse attempted to engage them in conversation about their trip. She finally broke her eye contact with Beca and blurted out that she had to get to class. “We’ll talk later Beca,” she said, the brunette looking like she was going to pass out.

“Bye Jesse,” Chloe said with one last smile directed at him. She forced her legs to move her towards the nearest exit. Once she was back outside she gulped in the fresh air and leaned back against the brick wall. Her phone beeped and she pulled it from her pocket, the residual adrenalin causing her hands to shake. She berated herself for wishing it was Beca as she opened the text message from her roommate Aubrey.

**‘We need to talk.’**

Chloe ran a hand over her face. She loved her best friend dearly, but Chloe could not handle any form of in depth conversation right now.

**‘Gotta get to class, see you at home later! :) xx’**

Chloe hoped her cheery reply was enough to appease her fellow senior as she pushed off the wall and headed across campus.

**‘Hmm that’s funny since you have no classes on a Monday...Need to talk to you about Beca. Or more specifically YOU and Beca...’**

“Shit sorry!” Chloe had walked into an irritated looking sophomore when she read the last part of the message. She fumbled to pick up the books she had knocked out of the girl’s hands before pocketing her phone and making her way in a daze towards her dorm room at _Stevenson Hall_. She had been stressing all year over whether or not to tell her best friend about her feelings for the aspiring music producer. Aubrey had seemed oblivious throughout and she dropped Tom’s name every so often to keep up with the pretence that they had a ‘thing’. The truth was, she hadn’t been with him since aca-initiation night. After that perfectly harmonised duet with Beca in the showers at the start of the year, it was game over for the senior. Sure, the moment with Beca had gotten her worked up, leading to Chloe taking advantage of the availability of Tom’s naked body in her shower cubicle right after, but she couldn’t continue to fool herself and had ended their mutual arrangement in a drunken slur towards the end of the initiation party.

Chloe threw herself face first onto her bed once inside the dorm room she shared with Aubrey.

“You can thank Howie for bringing your bags back since you left in such a hurry.”

Chloe groaned into her pillow before lifting her head and leaning on her elbows as Aubrey came out of the bathroom. The _Bellas_ captain had an on again / off again relationship with Howie Wilson, the senior _Sigma Beta Theta_ fraternity member. They were currently _on_ but when she tried to keep up with their status she got whiplash. Chloe thought he was a bit of a dick but there were only so many times she could say that to her friend. “Sorry Aubrey, I totally forgot about my stuff.”

“Yeah, I noticed when you were chasing after Mitchell like a lovesick puppy.”

Chloe’s eyes widened and she sat on the side of the bed, facing the blonde who was standing watching her with her arms crossed. She wasn’t sure if Aubrey looked pissed or hurt.

“I really don’t feel like talking, Aubrey.”

“Well tough,” Aubrey said with a stern look, sitting next to her friend and taking her hand. “Something clearly happened with you and Beca and as your best friend it’s my job to hound you until you talk. As my father always says, _‘paralyse resistance with persistence’_.”

Chloe frowned in good humoured exasperation. “What?”

Aubrey took a second to reply sheepishly. “I don’t really know what it means. But I’m not going anywhere until you talk to me.”

“I don’t know where to start.” Chloe was staring into space but turned back to Aubrey when she felt the blonde squeeze her hand.

“Well first of all, I love you no matter what. You know that, right?”

Chloe gave a watery smile in return, swallowing hard.

“Is it true you like Beca?”

Chloe nodded lightly. “Wait, what do you mean, _‘is it true’_? Did somebody say something to you?”

“Um...”

“Aubrey...”

Aubrey sighed before answering. “A few of the _Bellas_ think there’s something going on with you two...so...are they right?”

Chloe paused, unsure of what to say.

“I’m not judging Chlo, honestly. I just want to be there for you.”

Chloe leant her elbows on her knees and dropped her head into her hands. “I really like her Aubrey. I mean...I –”

“You love her?” Aubrey coaxed when Chloe cut herself off and failed to speak. She was trying her best to remain calm upon this new revelation.

“Yup,” she said, dropping her head. “God, I am such a chump.”

Aubrey hated to hear her friend sound so defeated. It was very rare that Chloe would be anything but upbeat and radiant so when she was down, it was quite unnerving.

“Sweetie, you are not a chump.”

“No, I am,” Chloe said, rising to her feet to pace their dorm room. “I told her I loved her and she freaked out and left. _And_ to top it all off, she has a boyfriend. She has a perfect, a cappella boyfriend who’s clearly not going anywhere. So where does that leave _me_?”

Aubrey was still trying to come to terms with Chloe being in love with Beca. She felt left out, wondering how long it had been going on for but she pushed those thoughts aside. “How long have you guys been...” She didn’t know what to say to her friend, or how to define whatever relationship was going on between the two girls. It seemed complicated with Jesse and the unrequited love declaration in the mix.

“We haven’t been _anything_. Until last night, when everything got fucked up,” Chloe said. She took a deep breath and checked her phone, still hoping for the message she knew wasn’t coming. Upon seeing nothing but the screen saver on her iPhone she threw it haphazardly onto her nearby desk, causing Aubrey to wince at the loud clatter it made. Aubrey shot to her feet and took Chloe’s hands again.

She waited patiently for Chloe to regain her composure and fixed a few strands of Chloe’s auburn hair with a warm smile.

“How come you aren’t freaking out?” Chloe said.

“Chloe you know I am a strong supporter of the gay community. We sing at Barden’s _L.G.B.T. Alliance_ mixer every year. And Beca has grown on me the past few weeks. She’s got talent and I gotta say, I do have fun with her. I’m surprised that _you_ have feelings for her, sure. I thought you and Tom were still doing the horizontal mambo. But sweetie, I’m certainly not going to judge you, I love you no matter what.”

Chloe pulled the blonde into a tight hug, taking her by surprise. She mumbled words of thanks into Aubrey’s shoulder as the _Bellas_ captain held her close.

“So do I need to kick Beca’s ass? I took that self defence class freshman year.”

Chloe let out a chuckle at the thought of Aubrey trying to fight anyone. “We went twice ‘cause you had the hots for the instructor.”

“True. I still remember my moves though,” she said with a smirk.

“You’re a dork, babe.”

“Hardly, I’m a sophisticated soon to be graduate.” She held her head high, hoping her goofing off would lighten her best friend’s mood. It worked momentarily until Chloe’s shoulders sagged and she exhaled a ragged breath.

“What am I gonna do?”

“I don’t know Chlo, but you really need to talk to Beca.”

“Pity she doesn’t feel the same way,” she moaned, looking over at her phone absent-mindedly.

“She’ll come around,” Aubrey said with certainty. “She’s probably confused right now and she’s stubborn as an ass.”

“Aubrey –”

“What? She is!” she said with a shrug.

“Pot, kettle, black?”

“We’re not talking about me,” Aubrey deflected quickly with a mock glare. “Do you want to talk it out over some lunch? It’s on me.”

Chloe hadn’t eaten since the night before but had felt nauseous all morning at the thought of eating. Now that she had calmed down she figured she might as well. “Sure.” She retrieved her phone giving it one last check for messages before pocketing it and following her friend out the door.

“So did you like, go down on her?”

“Jesus Aubrey, we are so not going there!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! x


	3. Chapter 3

**Thursday evening (3 Days Later)**

Beca had managed to avoid Chloe around campus all week except for mandatory _Bellas_ practice on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. They would have their final gig Friday night on campus along with the other three Barden a cappella groups. The _Bellas_ would be the guests of honour at this year’s event. It would be a change from the previous year when they were the group too embarrassed to perform after their _ICCA Finals_ humiliation. They would perform the routine they came up with for Orlando along with their Nationals winning routine, so there wasn’t too much preparation required. Which was a good thing, since Chloe had been subdued throughout practice all week.

Chloe had relied on Aubrey to run the choreography and vocal sessions with the other girls. She couldn’t bring herself to speak unless it was to sing along with the others and that was half hearted at best. It was the first time she had given less than 100% and not received an ear bashing from her best friend. Aubrey would just give her a quick look of sympathy and move on.

Aubrey had received strict orders from Chloe not to attack Beca during practice, so Aubrey begrudgingly ignored her except for a hate-filled glare every so often. Beca never returned the hatred, choosing to take it and look away guiltily.

Beca had been quiet throughout practice sessions, a distinct lack of smart-assed comments and jokes during the awkward rehearsals. It was clear to the other girls that Chloe and Beca were not speaking and it made the two hour sessions painfully awkward. Chloe made her way towards Beca at the end of Wednesday’s session but the brunette had shouldered her bag and made for the door before she could ask “can we talk?”

Chloe had texted those words to Beca on Thursday morning after another restless sleep, but her words had been ignored until the evening, when she received a simple reply of **‘I can’t. I’m sorry’**.

Chloe had tried to keep herself busy all week with classes and labs. Although she and Beca were both under the branch of the College of Arts and Sciences, Chloe’s classes were all in the Neuroscience Institute, leaving less of a chance to run into the other girl. This led to Chloe forcing Aubrey to meet her every day for lunch on the grass outside the library in the hopes that she might spot the brunette. She knew it was pathetic but she didn’t care. Beca had managed to keep her profile low and it was pissing Chloe off entirely. She did manage to see Jesse walking past, his usual cheerful disposition visible, so that ruled out Beca having dumped him. That sighting had led to more tears being spilled onto Aubrey’s shoulder.

Aubrey herself was worn out from worrying about her roommate and comforting the sobbing girl every evening. She came home from the library after 7pm on Thursday evening to find Chloe curled up on her bed, watching _Beaches_.

“Jesus Chlo, I thought I threw that out after Sophomore year.”

It had been Chloe’s go-to movie whenever she was feeling down but it only ever managed to send her into gut wrenching sobs and Aubrey having to listen to tear-filled renditions of _‘Wind Beneath My Wings’_. It led to a heated argument in the dorm Sophomore year when Aubrey’s attempts to study for her Economics final were interrupted by Bette Midler’s voice for the last time. “You did, I took it out of the bin,” Chloe said before blowing her nose and curling up into a ball.

“You have a free morning tomorrow, right?” Aubrey asked, shutting Chloe’s laptop closed and cutting it off just in time as she heard that damn song start again. Chloe gaped at her before moving it off of her bed and sitting up.

“Hey! Yeah, my first lab isn’t until two, why?”

“Because,” Aubrey said, rooting through their wardrobe. “We are going out tonight.”

“Aubrey,” Chloe said with a sickly sweet tone that said _‘you can go fuck yourself if you think I’m moving from this bed tonight’_. “I appreciate your efforts but I’m tired.”

“Bullshit,” Chloe heard as her favourite pair of skinny jeans were flung at her head. “Get your ass up and go for a shower. You’re beginning to smell kind of foul.”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t give me that look,” Aubrey warned, stripping off and wrapping a towel around herself. “I’m going for one now, you better be ready to go in when I’m out.”

“Aubrey – ”

“Don’t ‘Aubrey’ me, I’m serious Chlo. You’ve been moping about in a funk all week and I’ve let you, but enough’s enough. _Beaches_ was the final straw. So we’re going to go out and have fun. I’ll text the _Bellas_ \- bar one - to come over for a few drinks and then we can head to _The Garage_?”

Chloe attempted a stand-off, staring defiantly at her roommate as she moved to sit with her legs criss-crossed under her. 

“Oh don’t even try to fight me Chloe Marie Beale. This is for your own good,” Aubrey said, making her way into their en suite bathroom. Having their own shower since Junior year was a godsend. Chloe only ever had to use the communal showers when it was to meet up with Tom. She had no intentions of ever using them again.

Chloe let her head loll back to hit the wall behind her and rolled her eyes. She jumped when Aubrey briefly reappeared, took Chloe’s laptop and retreated back into the bathroom. “Just in case,” she explained.

“Oh come on!”

x x x x x x x 

By ten o’clock Chloe’s mood was much better as she clinked bottles with Stacie and downed the rest of her beer. Her iPod dock was playing the latest party tunes and the _Bellas_ who could make it were helping to lift Chloe’s mood. Aubrey kept a close eye on her friend, having warned those present via text not to mention Beca to Chloe.

“So can we talk about the elephant in the room?” Fat Amy asked Aubrey, as they leaned against the desk, watching a few of the girls down shots of tequila. Cynthia-Rose patted a coughing Lilly Onakurama on the back which made her worse, causing Stacie to howl and give the quiet freshman another drink. This was going to be a seriously drunken night.

Aubrey always enjoyed her conversations with Fat Amy, who was likely to say anything to anyone. She was dreading the next edition of Barden University’s monthly magazine, as Fat Amy had been asked to give an interview on behalf of the group. Her eyes went wide and she looked to Chloe whose eyes were glossy as she threw her head back in a fit of giggles.

“What do you mean?” Aubrey said innocently.

“Well I mean, it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? I’m just gonna go ahead and put it out there. Denise is totally jealous of me.”

Aubrey released a breath and tried to hide her smirk. She hoped Fat Amy never changed. Before she had a chance to question the Australian’s logic, the freshman launched into her theory on why Denise, a sweet freshman member, was jealous of Fat Amy’s talent, solos and curves. Aubrey was just thankful that Amy had not mentioned Chloe and nodded along thoughtfully to the girl’s humorous digression. She noticed Chloe checking her phone throughout the night, a brief cloud of disappointment marring her features every time.

When they got to the club there was a line, but Stacie appeared to know the head bouncer intimately and he waved the group in after receiving a wink from the brunette and a promise to meet him later in the night. _The Garage_ nightclub was a favourite of upperclassmen Barden students, located near the campus. Aubrey wasn’t the biggest fan of the alternative or up and coming DJs and bands that played the venue but Chloe loved it and most Seniors usually ended up there at the end of a night out.

Aubrey recognised Jessie J’s _Domino_ being mashed up with Rihanna’s _We Found Love_ which had all the girls in the club dancing in little groups, the strobe lights flashing in time to their erratically waving arms, as the guys seemed to hover around the sides of the dance floor, their eyes raking over the moving bodies with appreciation.

Aubrey looked up to the DJ booth and saw Christi, Thursday night’s regular DJ setting up her next track. She reminded Aubrey of Beca, with double the attitude and a full sleeve of tattoos. Christi’s ex girlfriend Leah was in most of Aubrey’s classes so they had hung out a few times at parties. Christi would flirt with anyone and when single, was rumoured to never go home alone. She waved up when Christi threw a cocky wink at her and turned back to the bar where Chloe was calling her to do shots. Aubrey hadn’t seen her friend this drunk in a while but at least it was better than crying non-stop.

Howie arrived shortly after with his fraternity brothers so Aubrey left the group for a while to hang out (and make out) with her currently-on boyfriend. He was going to follow in his father’s footsteps in the fall and continue his engineering studies at Princeton. She didn’t foresee them being strong enough to continue an eight hundred mile long-distance relationship, and she wasn’t that bothered by it either. They were a distraction for each other while at Barden. Plus he was seriously hot so she wasn’t going to waste an opportunity to be with him while he was still around. Howie smiled at her and she rubbed his arm affectionately, squeezing the strong bicep underneath. Yeah, she was definitely going to make the most of their time together.

When she returned to find the _Bellas_ , they were on the dance floor, some questionable twerking and gyrating taking place.

“Where’s Chloe?” she shouted over the bass to Cynthia-Rose.

“Guess she’s got a thing for DJs,” she said with a nod towards the bar. Aubrey groaned when she saw Christi laugh and run a hand down Chloe’s arm, subtly moving closer to the tipsy redhead. She liked Christi, and if she wanted to be a player that was her business, but she was not going to prey on her best friend. Aubrey would see to that. She was about to make her way over to do some serious cockblocking when the job was done for her by none other than Jesse. She watched as Chloe momentarily froze before greeting him. Once she spotted Aubrey in the crowd, Chloe’s eyes widening towards her roommate in a _‘get your ass over here’_ look.

“Shit shit shit...”

Aubrey arrived just as Beca and a few others joined the group, fear once again washing over the freshman’s face. They were joined by Luke, the manager of the on campus radio station, at which Beca and Jesse interned, and a few of his usual _Garage_ posse. He was usually seen at the club, having an in depth conversation with the DJ after their set, the rest of the world forgotten. He was the regular DJ on Tuesdays; a wise choice for Ladies Night. Tonight he was accompanied by his aspiring model girlfriend Hannah, and a few guys Aubrey recognised as a band that played around Barden.

Small talk was attempted over the loud music and Aubrey noticed Beca’s eyes glued to Chloe. The tension increased as Christi whispered into Chloe’s ear and ran a hand across the top of Chloe’s jeans, coming dangerously close to her ass, causing the redhead to squirm under the touch. Beca’s jaw was clenched tight, her eyes fierce.

Chloe locked eyes briefly in a showdown with Beca as she continued to flirt with Christi, circling a finger over the tattoos on the DJ’s collarbone, leaving her hand slowly trail down her shoulder. Beca downed her drink and headed straight to the bar, her boyfriend unaware of her turmoil. Aubrey grabbed a hold of Chloe’s hand and dragged her aside until they could hear over the music.

“What the hell?” Chloe said with a huff.

“My thoughts exactly. What are you doing with Christi?”

“I thought you guys were friends?” Chloe crossed her arms defensively, her eyes flitting to Beca ordering at the bar.

“Acquaintances, sure,” Aubrey clarified. “But you know what she’s like.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Oh please, I’m not going to get up on every known lesbian in Atlanta now.”

“Well it certainly looked like you were gonna be gettin’ some tonight!”

“So what? I’ve had a shitty week Aubrey, I’m just blowing off some steam.”

Aubrey sighed and looked back to their friends, watching Christi kissing some random girl on the cheek and following her onto the dance floor. “I just don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

“Well, problem solved! She found another victim. Happy?”

Aubrey remained silent and levelled her friend with a pleading look, waiting for Chloe’s anger to subside.

“I wasn’t going to sleep with her you know.”

“I know.”

“How do you know?”

They shared a smirk and Aubrey looped her arm in Chloe’s. “I may have missed out on the whole glaringly obvious sexuality thing, but apart from that I know you pretty well, Beale.”

Chloe planted a playful kiss on her roommate’s cheek before crushing her in a hug. “Thanks for looking out for me.”

“Hey I just didn’t want to have to come home in the morning and see Christi naked in our room.”

“In the morning? Ooh Howie’s getting lucky tonight!”

“Shut up!” Aubrey blushed and they returned to their friends once again. When they got there, Beca and Jesse had disappeared. As much as Chloe immersed herself in the atmosphere and the music, she couldn’t stop herself from scanning the crowd, trying to spot the freshman pair, a mixture of dread and hope at the thought of seeing them.

x x x x x x x

The fifteen minute walk back to the dorms took almost an hour as the drunken girls tried to navigate the urban terrain, with potholes, kerbs and inanimate objects as obstacles. Aubrey had left earlier in the night with Howie, relieved once she spotted Christi leaving the club with the random girl from earlier, and not her best friend.

Fat Amy attempted to jump over a parking meter and Chloe could have sworn she peed a little when the Aussie didn’t make it over and came crashing to the ground. Stacie had dropped to her knees in convulsions of drunken laughter and Cynthia-Rose tripped off the kerb as she wiped her eyes after laughing so hard. Ashley and Jessica were arguing over their current Accounting assignment, which was of course always the best time to have a serious discussion...whilst walking home blind drunk at three A.M.

The cycle of trips and giggles continued all the way back and Chloe realised she hadn’t checked her phone since she arrived at the club. She pulled it out just as Cynthia-Rose ran past her with Lilly on her back and felt her heartbeat pick up automatically. Three messages. One from her brother Patrick, who was working a few hours away in Augusta; one from Aubrey ordering her to send a text when she was home safe; and one from Tom telling her to call over after the club. Ugh.

She tried to join back in with the others and not be disappointed but it was hard to keep up the façade. Who was she kidding? She had no interest in Christi. She had no interest in Tom. There was only Beca Mitchell on her mind. It killed her to know that Jesse could kiss Beca at any moment and that she would willingly return the embrace. That Beca was capable of pretending nothing had happened between them. Last week had been the first time Chloe had said the big “I love you” to anyone, and right now she felt like it would be last. She had tried all week to get Beca to talk to her but the brunette had ran away every time. Chloe figured she would have to try and move on.

She sent a quick text to Aubrey once inside and got ready for bed. She had been asleep for an hour when her phone woke her.

**Beca Mitchell  
iMessage**

She squinted in the dark to adjust her eyes, entering her password incorrectly twice with her haste, her heartbeat thumping.

**‘Sorry for evrythin,. I miss ypu.’**

“Well fuck me...”


	4. Chapter 4

**_‘Sorry for evrythin,. I miss ypu.’_**

**Friday (the following day)**

It was clear that Beca had been either drunk, or running on a treadmill when she wrote the text message judging by the spelling errors, but Chloe got the gist of it. She had spent so much time deliberating over what to write in response to Beca’s text that she fell asleep, phone in hand, as the sun began to ascend.

She woke before noon on Friday with a headache, her stomach jumping as she remembered the message again. She checked the time and decided that she would be proactive about the matter. She guzzled a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and hopped in the shower, letting the water wake her up and clear her head. Beca was finally responding. They would have a talk and Chloe hoped there would be much more. She tried to reign in her optimism but it was bursting through. She was never a pragmatic kind of girl, always thinking with her heart.

She was buzzing as she walked across campus with two take-away coffees from her favourite on-campus café. She had picked out a blue shirt to bring out her eyes, and kept her jewellery minimal with small hoop earrings. She didn’t want to look like she was trying but she still wanted to look good. She took a deep breath before heading inside _Baker Hall_ , taking the steps to the third floor two at a time with eagerness. She figured Aubrey would kill her for rushing over like a lapdog but she just had to take a chance. She eventually knocked after giving herself a little pep talk.

No answer. The anticipation had her bouncing on her heels. She figured Beca must still be asleep, and began to daydream about the last time they were in bed together. She knocked again, checking her watch. _12:42p.m._ No answer. Damnit. She dropped her head and jumped when the door was jerked open.

“Beca’s not here.”

Chloe didn’t have time to respond before Beca’s Korean roommate Kimmy Jin followed with “and no, I don’t know where she is” before shutting the door in her face. Chloe stood looking at the door for a few moments, and once she got over the shock of Kimmy’s rudeness, the despair took over. She wanted to bang on the door and demand to be told whether Beca slept in her room or not, but she didn’t fancy pissing the already hostile girl off even more.

She threw the polystyrene cups of coffee in the bin. She couldn’t finish her drink now. She planned on going straight back to the dorm and finding where Aubrey had hidden her _Beaches_ DVD. She headed for the stairs, feeling like a complete idiot. Did Chloe spend the night with Jesse? Or had she just gotten up early ? God, had she _slept_ with Jesse? Her mind was racing, fearing the worst. 

Beca had told her when they were on their trip to Orlando that she and Jesse had not yet slept together, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the longevity of that fact. Would Beca prefer sex with Jesse? Would he be better? Was Beca in love with him? The angry tears were forming as she ran down the steps, nearly running into the girl in question at the bottom.

“Woah!” Beca automatically put out a hand to steady Chloe, snapping it back when she realised who it was. Remorse was evident in Beca’s face and she dropped her gaze from the watery blue eyes in front of her. Beca mumbled an awkward “hey” as she shoved her hands into her pockets.

Chloe immediately noticed that Beca was in her clothes from the night before, her make up mostly gone except for the most obvious remnants of her smudged eyeliner. Beca felt subconscious under the knowing glare and looked anywhere but at Chloe. She wondered if she could escape if she side stepped Chloe and raced back to her room, but she figured she had hurt her enough over the past few days. Also, that plan involved running.

“Hey,” Chloe spat out with a fake smile, as she stood up fully on the step above Beca. “Good night?” Her jaw was clenched, images spinning through her mind of what she imagined Beca and Jesse were getting up to a few hours previously.

“Chloe I can’t do this now.”

Chloe scoffed as Beca ran a shaky hand through her tousled hair.

“Jeez Beca, when _would_ suit you to have this discussion? Should I look for an appointment via your secretary? Or will you just be ignoring me until I finish College? God, you know, you’re being a real asshole.”

Beca’s eyebrows shot up and she snorted self-consciously, not used to hearing such language from the other girl.

“I don’t know what you want me to say!”

“Well _anything_ at all would be a good start,” she snapped, stepping down from the step to get level with the brunette. “You can’t just ignore me...you can’t do that to me.” Chloe willed herself not to let her emotions get the better of her but the last few words came out with a quiver. “You know how I feel about you and I thought you cared about me.” She dropped her head, pulling at the hem of her shirt.

“I do care Chloe,” Beca said, receiving a snort from Chloe. “Don’t give me that. Look, you know we shouldn’t have slept together, it’s not fair to Jesse.”

“Have you slept with him?”

“What?” Beca frowned, uncomfortable with the forward question Chloe had blurted out. “That’s really none of your business.” 

“Do you love him?”

“Chloe –”

“Do you love him?”

Beca shook her head briefly, refusing to give her an answer and took to the first step before Chloe stopped her.

“It’s a simple question.”

“What does it matter Chloe?”

“What does it matter?” she repeated incredulously. “Uh it kinda matters a lot, yeah. You know, since I’m kind of in _love_ with you.”

Her mocking tone hurt Beca who faced Chloe fully. They were more even in height now as the brunette closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I didn’t _ask_ you to be!”

Chloe could have sworn Beca was shaking slightly, but was busy trying to control her own emotions.

“Look, I’m sorry Beca. I really didn’t mean to blurt that out the other night.” Chloe received a glare from a tight lipped Beca who was trying to keep it together. “Really Beca, I am sorry. It wasn’t fair that I told you that.”

She watched Beca exhale and drop her shoulders.

“No shit.”

“Look I can’t change how I feel, I just wish I didn’t tell you.”

“What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t exactly thinking straight, Beca,” she said with a smirk.

“Yeah well...” Beca blushed, shuffling her feet as she remembered holding Chloe close as the other girl had come down from her orgasm and had whispered the words that caused all this trouble into her ear. “God, why did you have to do this _now_?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you have to wait until I was with Jesse?”

Chloe’s eyes widened at the sad expression that suddenly appeared on Beca’s face. “Wait, what...are you saying things would be different if you weren’t with Jesse?”

“No, uh-of course not.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow as Beca frowned and tried not to fumble over her words. The brunette was pushing some hair behind her ear, her nervousness making her more endearing to Chloe.

“Look, I think you’re just confused.” Beca’s words didn’t even sound like she was convincing herself, never mind Chloe who was looking at her sceptically.

“Don’t tell me how I feel.” Beca looked away sheepishly. “Why did you text me last night?”

Beca blushed and ran another nervous hand through her hair. “I’m sorry about that. I was wasted.”

“’A drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts’,” Chloe quoted smugly, her eyes twinkling briefly for the first time in days.

Beca couldn’t help the half smile that broke out, her efforts to keep Chloe at a distance becoming more difficult every time she saw her. She felt self conscious with last night’s make up on and her hair not brushed. At least Jesse had a spare pack of toothbrushes. Beca was at war with herself internally, every aspect of Chloe attacking her senses. Chloe could pull off a simple look and make it breathtaking. Beca was always blown away by a flip of Chloe’s hair or the way her eyes would sparkle when she laughed. Aubrey’s cardio workout sessions were a write off if Chloe ever turned up wearing anything revealing.

“You said you missed me. Well, at least you tried to anyway. Alcohol and touch screen phones are just a disaster.” There was a hint of flirtation in the Senior’s voice as she moved a step closer.

“I just meant that I miss our friendship.”

“Uh huh,” Chloe said quietly as she continued to move closer to a nervous Beca. It was clear to Chloe that Beca was trying to push her away, but she wasn’t convinced that it was really what the freshman wanted. She felt like Beca was hiding behind her relationship with Jesse. But then again, it could just be wishful thinking.

“I know you feel it Beca. I know you wanted me just as much as I wanted you.”

Making a bold move, Chloe gently moved Beca’s hair away from her face, cupping her cheek. The brunette’s eyes fluttered closed and she inhaled sharply. Her eyes shot open, connecting with Chloe.

“I slept with Jesse.”

Both girls seemed to be shocked by the words and Chloe dropped her hand with a quiet gasp, wondering if someone had secretly punched her in the stomach. Her head spun and she took a step back.

“What did y-? When?”

“Last night.”

“Oh.”

Beca was anxious about the dazed look she had caused to adorn Chloe’s face. She had panicked. If Chloe had moved in to kiss her she didn’t think she would have been able to stop her. Now she was afraid she had broken the girl.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that.”

Chloe was nodding pensively and wringing her hands together.

“That was the first time?”

Beca gave a small nod, chewing her lip.

“Was he...better –”

“Chloe, don’t.”

“Well, since you’re in a sharing mood all of a sudden! Was he better than me?”

“I’m not doing this.”

“And you’re just coming home now?”

Beca didn’t answer, but her brief drop of eye contact was enough confirmation for Chloe.

“Well at least you stayed until morning, that’s progress I guess.” 

Chloe regretted the bitchy words as soon as she said them but she couldn’t stop the anger bubbling inside her. Beca was clenching her jaw, trying not to lash out but Chloe had her backed into a corner, pushing her to fight back.

“Looked like you were moving on pretty quick last night yourself.”

It took a few seconds for Chloe to realise what Beca was attempting to throw in her face. “Oh please, that Christi girl?”

Beca crossed her arms and replied with a defensive eyebrow raise. Chloe scoffed.

“Jealous?”

“Just curious,” Beca said quickly, aiming for indifference. “You didn’t strike me as the type of girl who goes form apparently being in love to being all over some skank a week later.”

“Well apparently it’s an unrequited love so I think I can do whatever the hell I want.”

“You gotta stop throwing that in my face,” Beca said as she sat down on the step, holding her head in her hands. “You can’t hate me for being honest with you.”

Chloe’s laugh echoed up the stairwell. “See that’s the problem, Beca. If I thought you were being _honest_ I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have spent all week trying to talk to you. _I_ think,” she said as she sat next to the brunette and turned to face her. “That for some reason, you’re lying to yourself.” She placed a hand on Beca’s knee and squeezed it lightly. “I’m not trying to tell you what you feel, but I do think you’re afraid to give us a chance.”

Beca couldn’t look away from Chloe’s pleading eyes. She couldn’t deny how drawn to her she was. Ever since they first met, she had thought Chloe was stunning, an immediate connection forming between them. She was absolutely terrified right now. She had given into Jesse’s constant advances only a month ago. How could she then turn around and dump him? And what, run off into the sunset with Chloe? Life wasn’t that simple. She had to give him a chance.

Jesse was fun, good looking, interested in music. She wasn’t in love with him but it was a new relationship. These things took time. She shook her head and looked sadly at Chloe. She saw hope and determination. But how could they start something when she was already at that stage with someone else? She was so tired. So lost in her thoughts she didn’t realise she had taken a hold of Chloe’s hand on her knee, squeezing back.

“I get that you’re...confused,” Chloe said softly, afraid to scare Beca away again. “I just don’t want you to write me off because you’re afraid to take a chance.”

“It’s too late,” Beca said with a faraway look. “Look how much I’ve hurt you already.”

“Don’t give me that martyr crap Mitchell. Can I ask you something?”

Beca nodded, wishing she didn’t feel so weak.

“Last night...you and Jesse...did you...”

Beca looked at her, afraid to hear whatever Chloe was struggling to get out.

“Did you sleep with him because you were jealous?”

The truth was a big fat ‘yes’ but how could she admit that to Chloe? Was she that transparent? She had hurt both Jesse and Chloe so much and now she had gone and taken a huge step with the boy just because she thought Chloe was moving on. Because she was hurting, thinking of the possibility of Christi putting her sleazy hands on the perfect girl in front of her. So she had let Jesse bring her back to his dorm and pretended she wanted what he had been craving. Pretended that all she wanted was for him to make love to her. Pretended he was the only one. She had dropped her gaze as he climaxed, unable to lock eyes with him, wishing it had been Chloe’s naked body on top of her last night and not her boyfriend’s. What a fucking mess.

She sniffled and wiped under her eye. She felt so dirty. She had used Jesse. She had given Chloe false hope. Either way one of them would be hurt. Was she supposed to be selfish and do what would make her happy? She couldn’t make a decision without looking at the feelings of two other people. It was too hard.

“I feel like such a dick,” Beca said, before Chloe wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against her body. Beca’s shoulders sagged as Chloe’s perfume did its sneaky job once again, rendering her helpless against the Senior’s charms.

It was all the answer Chloe needed, to know that Beca had jumped into bed with Jesse in response to her drunken flirtations. She felt horrible that her actions led to the brunette making a decision that she probably regretted, but it also meant there was still hope for her.

“You’re not a dick. Well, not always.”

“Hey,” Beca defended meekly. Chloe gave her a dazzling smile and simply pulled her closer. They sat in silence for a while as Beca let a few tears out. It had been a long time since Beca had allowed herself to cry in front of anyone. She lulled her head onto Chloe’s shoulder as the redhead drew calming circles on her back, wondering how two people could fit together so perfectly. How could she resist this? Resist this perfect human being, who was actually in love with her? It was stressing her out too much.

Beca’s eyes closed involuntarily as Chloe braved deft fingers over her hipbone and across her back. The brunette arched her back and raised her head, unable to look away once again from eyes that kept dancing to her mouth. Chloe chewed on her lip in deliberation. The desire to kiss Beca was overwhelming but she didn’t want to go back to square one. She was sick of chasing after someone who was running the other way.

She gasped when Beca reached out to play with a strand of her hair, afraid to move, the younger girl’s breath loud in her ear. Or was that her own breath? She couldn’t tell.

“What are you doing to me?” Beca whispered, her hand moving to run her fingers down Chloe’s jaw line and around to her neck, before pulling her closer.

The kiss took Chloe by surprise. The sound of Beca letting go and moaning against her lips sent a jolt of arousal through her body. Her hands shook against Beca as she tried to keep up with the heated kisses they were sharing. There was a sense of desperation in the moment. A fear that they shouldn’t be doing this, but knowing they both wanted to so badly. Beca raked her nails over Chloe’s neck and trailed the other hand along her thigh, causing Chloe’s stomach to plummet. They kissed harder and faster, Chloe’s eyes rolling back as she felt Beca run nails down her back and under the top of her jeans. She moaned Beca’s name and trailed hasty kisses along her neck, feeling a quickening pulse against her lips. She wondered if Beca’s nails were going to leave a mark on her back as she licked a trail down Beca’s neck to her exposed collarbone. The nails dug just a little bit harder in response. Beca’s laboured breathing was hitting her face in erratic puffs. She needed to feel as much of Chloe’s skin as possible. Nobody could compare to Chloe. Nobody could make her feel this good. Not even –

“Fuck, I can’t keep doing this.”

Chloe was panting with an adorably confused expression as Beca held her at arm’s length, trying to ignore the obvious arousal in her eyes. The blush on Beca’s neck reminded Chloe of how the girl had looked, naked in her arms, only a week prior. She wanted to see Beca like that again. Yet she would get so far and then Beca would run.

“Please don’t do this again,” Chloe said.

Beca closed her eyes. Maybe then she could ignore the arousing memories, and the panic washing over Chloe’s features. Her head was spinning. Mixing in with the memory of how good it had felt as she had slipped Chloe’s underwear off, a shy yet mischievous smile enticing her further, was the thought of Jesse’s smile as she had first kissed him. He had looked like the epitome of fulfilment, and she _had_ felt like she had done the right thing. She had made him so happy. Yet she wondered how long it would take for her to feel the same, or if she ever would.

“I’m cheating. I’m...I’m being an asshole...and I’m hurting you, every damn time.”

She watched Chloe attempt to release a steadying breath and let go of her arms, missing the contact immediately. She hated herself once again for stopping what her body wanted. She wasn’t someone who questioned their convictions, just going for it with a _‘get the fuck out of my way’_ attitude. That was until all of this drama had kicked off. Man, she wished she could just sit in her room with a cold beer, mixing a few tracks and shutting out the rest of the world. She’d even take doing her _Introduction to Philosophy_ essay over having to make difficult life decisions...as long as that scenario also involved cold beer.

“Well maybe you need to make a choice.”

Chloe’s words were stern but under the façade she was terrified. She was pretty confident that Beca wanted her...just not confident that Beca would make the right decision. She fiddled with one of her hoop earrings as Beca looked on anxiously.

“I’ve put myself out there,” Chloe continued. “You know how I feel. I love you Beca and I want to be with you,” she said with a despondent shrug. “And if there’s any chance that you feel the same, I would hope that you would choose me.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Why not? Why are you making everything so complicated _in here_ ,” she asked, running her hand through Beca’s hair and holding her head. Beca leaned into the embrace and closed her eyes until Chloe spoke again, her tone soft.

“I don’t want to be the pushy girl who forces your hand and makes you end your relationship...but I don’t want you staying with Jesse just because you feel guilty.” Beca began to protest but Chloe put a hand up and continued. “If you honest to God love him and...want his aca-babies, then I will let it go. But I’m gonna fight for you if there’s a chance that I can be the one to make you happy. And I know I could, Beca.”

The freshman could still feel her pulse hammering and it was speeding up again as she listened to Chloe inform her of her intentions. She realised what the eventual outcome was going to be. What it was _always_ going to be. She was just afraid to admit it to herself.

“I don’t doubt that,” Beca said, reaching out to hold Chloe’s hand. She couldn’t believe this was happening and her voice was shaking, as hard as she was trying to control it. The opened buttons on Chloe’s shirt were allowing Beca access to view the cleavage in close proximity to her, and she caught herself availing of the opportunity as the older girl heaved a slow sigh. She pulled her lip between her teeth and looked back up into eyes that were begging for an answer.

“I think you’re amazing, Chloe...and I uh...” She paused to run a hand through her hair nervously. “Shit I’m not good at all this opening up stuff. Can’t I just make you a mash-up? With feelings?”

She received a warning glare that made her quickly hold her hands up. “Kidding, I’m kidding! Sorry, not the time for lightening the mood.”

Beca’s awkward apologetic smile would definitely have pissed Aubrey off had it been directed at the _Bellas_ Captain, but Chloe wanted to laugh and swoon and kiss her all at the same time. Well, mostly the last one. Chloe closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ignore Beca playing lightly with her fingers.

“I just need you to decide Beca.” Chloe checked her watch with a sigh. “Shoot, I gotta get ready, I have a lab soon.”

Let go. Just let go of her hand. A simple task. Yet Chloe couldn’t bring herself to do it. A look of sadness passed between the girls until Chloe gave Beca a sad smile and kissed her on the cheek before standing up. Beca wanted to reach out. She wanted to reassure Chloe that she could give her what she wanted. That she could give _herself_ to Chloe. But that damn fear was ever present and kept her rooted to the concrete step and without the warm hand she already missed holding.

“Guess I’ll see you tonight.”

It took Beca a second to remember they had a performance that night. She nodded mutely, not trusting herself to talk. When she was finally able to look up she could see Chloe walking across campus through the dusty glass on the door. As she sat in the stairwell, Beca wondered if she had known all along how Chloe felt towards her. Or was she really that obtuse that she didn’t spot it? Did she really not notice how they could not be in a room without gravitating towards one another, a reason to touch becoming more transparent as the year went on? 

As the realisation hit her that she would have to see both Chloe and Jesse tonight at the a cappella event, so dropped her head into her palms with a slap, taking a few seconds before facing the rest of her day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Later Friday night…**

Beca looked out from stage left to see her father, Dr. John Mitchell sitting in the third row with his new wife, Sheila. He lectured in Comparative Literature at Barden University and had ensured all of the English Department staff were present at the show. It was held annually by the four on campus groups and was always attended by the University staff and alumni.

There was a small media presence in the front row, representing the a cappella world’s elite, who were ready to report on the most talked about group to win Nationals so far. Beca did a double take when she saw Luke sitting near the back with his arm slung around Hannah. He had a bored look on his face, as everyone around them clapped along to the _Treble Makers_ who were currently performing. She figured the _Barden Bellas_ must have really made an impact this year if Luke was willing to lose street cred to watch a night of a cappella.

Jesse had just started singing lead to a catchy Bruno Mars / Fall Out Boy medley and when he turned to wink at her during choreography, she thought she might pass out. Not from a desire to swoon, but from the fear that Chloe might have seen him. She barely had time to process everything that had transpired earlier in the day when it was time to get ready and make it to their pre-show rehearsal. She watched her boyfriend moving around the stage with ease, and could only think of what she had done behind his back.

“Alright ladies, bring it in!”

She turned away as Aubrey ushered everyone into a circle, the blonde opting for a looser hairstyle now that she had become more relaxed about _Bellas_ uniformity. All ten girls were still wearing the _Barden Bellas_ yellow scarf in some manner, but the rigid air hostess appearance was well gone. Aubrey pulled Beca aside while the others huddled together for some last minute bonding and a monologue by Fat Amy.

“Pull your shit together for the next fifteen minutes Mitchell. We didn’t get this far to let you and Beale throw our aca-rep out the window!”

Beca gaped at the _Bellas_ Captain in surprise and was about to protest when she was interrupted by her again.

“Look, Beca I know you have a lot going on, but please don’t let it get in the way of the performance. You brought us this far, so please just keep it together.”

Beca rolled her eyes. “I’m cool Aubrey, relax.”

“Just keep that toner in your pants.”

Aubrey gave her a final warning stare after Beca finished sniggering, before making her way over to catch the end of Fat Amy’s story.

“You okay?” Chloe asked quietly as she appeared next to Beca, who jumped at the smooth tone in her ear. She jerked her arm back from where Chloe had grazed it, and cursed Aubrey for putting her more on edge than she already was.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I thought Aubrey had that stick up her ass surgically removed before Finals.”

Chloe gave her a sympathetic look. “I think the surgery was unsuccessful. Look, don’t let her get to you.”

The hand was back to rub a scorching trail around her waist. Chloe’s touch was never going to make Beca relax when she was in this state. Her blue eyes were trying to convey support to Beca but all she could see was the desire and heartache within. She wet her lips and allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of Chloe’s fingers roaming around her tensed back. She realised Jesse certainly didn’t have this effect on her, as she stood mesmerised by every inch of Chloe.

“I won’t,” Beca said hoarsely, unable to look away from the soft smile. She heard Aubrey muttering her name along with a few profanities before the annoyed Captain dragged her into the circle next to her. She was soon followed by Chloe who would send her into an early grave if she didn’t stop standing so close and smelling so damn good.

“...and that is why, you should never drive a moped near a sheep farm.”

Stacie gave a confused nod in agreement with Fat Amy as she finished rambling. Cynthia-Rose looked around, wondering if everyone else was as lost as she was. The speech had started out on the topic of teamwork but had taken a drastic turn soon after.

“Alright nerds,” Beca called them to attention as she prepared to put her game face on. “Let’s show ’em how it’s done.”

Her faux excitement seemed to fool the girls who cheered and did a group hug. She was pulled even closer into the circle and yelped as Chloe’s hand on her back snuck down to her ass, hidden from Aubrey’s view. She turned to berate the redhead but could only laugh as Chloe gave a mischievous grin, waggled her eyebrows and brought her hand back up to Beca’s waist. Yup, Chloe would definitely be the end of her.

The crowd cheered loudly as the _Treble Makers_ walked off stage, thankfully towards the other side. Once they were introduced to the crowd by the M.C., the _Barden Bellas_ took their places. Beca could feel her heart race as she took out the pitch pipe and started things off.

They led with a fast paced mash-up which included songs by Ellie Goulding, Nicki Minaj and Keane, allowing most of the group a chance to solo in some way. Beca was hyper aware whenever it was Chloe’s voice getting a chance to shine. The choreography called for them to be in close proximity throughout, and she briefly wondered if it had been designed that way deliberately by the Senior. She stopped herself from over-analysing her entire _Bellas_ career so far when it was time for her own solo, her nerves disappearing as she held the mic centre stage and focused solely on the music they were making. Every time she locked eyes with Chloe when they were singing the lyrics ‘anything could happen’, she was afraid she would fall over her own feet, especially when Chloe winked suggestively at her. On the final note, they froze in their positions to allow the crowd time to cheer before they began their performance from Nationals.

It was a set Beca could now do in her sleep and she got into the spirit when she realised the crowd were on their feet. It was funny to see her Philosophy lecturer cutting loose in the third row. That sense of pride she felt when the Bellas were announced as Nationals winners came back to her again and she couldn’t help but smile throughout her performance. For a few minutes, the stress of the past week was forgotten and she was able to enjoy herself. She was just singing with her awesome friends and having fun. Showing how great they had become, and how much work they had put in all year. It felt good to relish the moment and let the cheers from the crowd surround her.

They held their final position as the M.C. returned to the stage to congratulate them again for their Nationals win, receiving another round of applause from the crowd. She spotted Luke giving a wolf whistle and his girlfriend hollering. Her Dad was trying his hardest to catch her eye so she gave him a wave and an embarrassed smile, even taking a second to acknowledge Sheila.

“They freakin’ love us!” Fat Amy shouted before picking a resisting Beca up and throwing her over her shoulder.

“Amy!” She could see the other _Bellas_ laughing and cheering as they made their way off stage before she was dropped unceremoniously back down into the centre of yet another group hug, this one being more boisterous than the last. “You know I could kick your ass Amy!”

The girl in question just laughed and ruffled Beca’s hair with her hand, which the brunette attempted to slap away. “Just showing you some love, mini Mitchell!”

Beca tried to scowl at Amy but all she managed was a smirk, before fist bumping her. Once the excitement of performing was dissipating, they agreed on their plan for the night; to meet in the outdoor Amphitheatre at ten o’clock for the end of year a cappella groups’ party. It would be the same crowd as initiation night back in the fall, but always had a large attendance from the masses on campus, especially if one of the groups had done well over the year. Aubrey thanked Beca for not screwing up as they walked to their bags, and apologised for her last minute attack. Of course Aubrey referred to it as a ‘motivational spurring on’.

Beca just about managed to reply to Aubrey before Chloe approached them, still a little out of breath with a beaming smile. Chloe flung her arms around both girls and pulled them into a hug, causing Aubrey to laugh and Beca to freeze. Chloe would always be affectionate and full of life. Her personality was infectious and her smile caused Beca’s heart to skip every time she saw it.

“We did it guys!”

Beca put her arm around Chloe and relaxed into the embrace. She wasn’t a big hugger but it was hard to resist her. The opportunity to pull her close was a hard one to pass. Aubrey gave her roommate a warm smile before leaving the two girls and Chloe wrapped her arms fully around the smaller girl.

“That was awesome!”

Beca could only gulp in response as she clung to Chloe, afraid to pull back. If she moved, she would have to look into those eyes. It was an unfair advantage that overpowered Beca’s thought process.

“ _You_ were amazing,” Chloe whispered against Beca’s ear, her lips ghosting over the skin.

Another gulp. God, she was good. How did Chloe’s hand get under her top? She could have sworn her shirt had been tucked in. Beca’s eyes closed and she couldn’t stop the shudder that ran through her body. Chloe was pulling all the stops out. The seductive tone, the close proximity, the perfume, the teasing touches. Beca would not be human if she didn’t react in _some_ way.

“You don’t play fair,” Beca managed to say as Chloe teased her back with her fingers. 

“I can’t help myself around you.”

Beca’s pulse was thumping and her breaths erratic. She let her nose graze along Chloe’s neck and felt her breath catch. They were playing a dangerous game. They couldn’t be in the same room anymore without it becoming sexual. Beca just wanted to rip Chloe’s clothes off and finish what they were starting.

“You get me so turned on Beca.”

“Fuck,” Beca said involuntarily, feeling her legs wobble.

She pulled back to lock eyes and stabilise her lungs once more. Chloe was panting as she brought her hands to Beca’s hips, unable to break the contact just yet. Beca pulled her lip between her teeth as Chloe watched her with darkening eyes.

“You are evil, Chloe Beale,” Beca said with a shake of her head.

Chloe simply waggled her eyebrows and smirked. Beca found herself pulling at the _Bellas_ scarf tied around Chloe’s waist, deliberately letting her fingertips brush along the exposed skin at the top of Chloe’s low cut jeans. She heard a faint gasp and her heart flipped again, thinking about the ways Chloe’s body had reacted to her touch not so long ago.

“You can’t deny what’s between us, Beca,” Chloe said with a shrug before stepping back into her space, her ear tingling as Chloe’s lips moved nearby. “You know how good I can make you feel.”

Beca wet her lips, wondering when her mouth got so dry. Chloe pulled back again, her tone returning from extra-sultry to normal as she dropped her hands from Beca’s waist.

“See you tonight,” she said with a wink before leaving a hot and bothered Beca Mitchell standing backstage. Chloe knew Beca was watching her as she left, so she put a little extra sway into her step as she headed for the exit. Yeah, she really hoped it was only a matter of time before Beca realised that they were right for each other.

“Damn, you look like you’re gonna melt on the spot. Not that I blame you; if I had Chloe Beale teasing me mercilessly I’d probably self combust.”

Beca turned around as Cynthia-Rose spoke to her, a look of shock on her face. The other _Bella_ had approached from the stage to grab her bag.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Cynthia-Rose chuckled and patted her on the shoulder as she walked by.

“Sure you don’t.”

“I don’t!”

“Go take a cold shower, short stuff,” she called as she waved over her shoulder and left Beca to wonder if her and Chloe’s flirtations had been obvious to the other girls. Who was she kidding, they were as subtle as a brick. As subtle as two bricks that were clearly attracted to each other and failed to interact without some form of touching or innuendo…ever. She ran a hand over her face and looked up as Jesse came in the door against Cynthia-Rose. Shit, she had forgotten about him for a few minutes. Her eyes widened as she realised what she was thinking. She was a terrible, terrible person. She was going to burn in aca-hell for all eternity.

“There you are,” Jesse greeted, giving her a sweet kiss which she returned with a hidden grimace. “Wow, you guys killed it! Did you see Professor McDonald dancing in the aisle? I hope someone got that on camera.”

His innocent smile and warm brown eyes made her stomach turn with guilt. Why did he have to look at her so adoringly? Why did he have to be so happy to see her? She wanted to cry. She wanted to go back in time and not kiss him after their Nationals win. Then she wouldn’t have to inevitably hurt him.

No. She was with Jesse. He was her boyfriend. She couldn’t break his heart. She sighed and tried her best to smile back at him. She had to give him a chance. She had to stop thinking about Chloe and think about who she was _supposed_ to think about.

“You ok?”

The look of concern was enough to make her swallow a lump in her throat. He was oblivious to the feelings she knew she had for another girl...feelings that she had acted upon. Jesse always looked at her with such pride and adoration she knew she should be delighted to receive. It had felt good at the start but now it made her uneasy, knowing it wasn’t exactly a two way deal.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, cupping his face and running her thumb over his light five o’clock shadow. “Come on, let’s go.”

He kissed her again, this time a deeper kiss which she returned. She knew it should be making her feel good. She just felt empty, as she let herself go along with the motions, wrapping her arms around him because it was what she should do. She couldn’t get Chloe out of her mind, thinking about how she would look if she saw Beca now. How dejected she would be if she saw Beca kissing Jesse. She would have to see her at the party tonight and she hoped Chloe would keep her distance.

“Mmm, I can’t help myself around you,” Jesse echoed Chloe’s earlier words as he nuzzled Beca’s neck. She froze. It was too surreal. What the hell was she playing at? She gave as warm a smile as she could manage and pulled him along by the hand, already dreading tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

**Friday night – 11pm**

The amphitheatre was half full by the time Jesse and Beca got there. The thumping music echoed eerily around the large outdoor space as bodies carrying solo cups mingled and danced. She thought about the last time she was here back in September, after initiation into the _Bellas_. She had gone to bed that night thinking about Chloe and Tom after seeing them making out in front of her. She didn’t understand why she had felt a little jealous of him. She had thought briefly about Jesse too but her thoughts had circled back to Chloe all night...all semester really. She sighed and made a beeline to the kegs to get a beer. She needed one pronto.

Beca handed Jesse a cup and took a generous drink of her own. It was a warm night and the DJ was a crowd pleaser, which meant the crowd was ever growing. There were a lot of bodies around the drinks area and a few unknown faces stopped Beca on her way to congratulate her. They were quickly joined by Jesse’s quirky roommate and fellow _Treble Maker_ , Benji Applebaum who was anxious for them to join the rest of their singing group. Beca really wasn’t in the mood to have to feign interest in conversation with the group of guys. She would rather not go over and end up accidentally snapping at Benji. He was like a puppy. She would feel terrible if she hurt his feelings.

“You go. I better go find the girls anyway,” Beca said.

Benji gave her a hug and she smiled warmly at him. He looked so happy to finally be fitting in. She was happy that everything worked out for him. Jesse kissed her before leaving which led her to downing and refilling her drink. She was relieved to have a break from him and having to hold his hand. From the moment he had picked her up at her dorm to walk her to the party, she had felt queasy. The fact that he looked so happy to see her when she opened the door really didn’t help. Nor did the constant telling her how great she was and how well they were getting on. She subconsciously wiped her hand on her jeans and watched him high five a few teammates before jumping as a voice startled her.

“There you are!”

Beca turned to greet Stacy and return the hug from the tipsy freshman, who was back to refill three cups.

“We’re all over by the stage, come on. Here hold this.”

She shoved a full cup into Beca’s hand and rambled at Beca about how great the night had been so far. She was a little overwhelmed when they reached the _Bellas_. The whole gang were there and they were joined by a few others that she didn’t know. She barely noticed Stacy taking the cup from her hand to give to Lilly. Breathing was an issue with Chloe looking her up and down and running her tongue over her lips. There was also the cleavage that was on show in a tight blue dress. And the legs...well fuck...

The gang cheered and welcomed her which she downplayed but raised her cup with a shy smirk. This garnered a cheer of her name, led by an enthusiastic Fat Amy. Aubrey was more reserved with her greeting, playing the role of loyal friend tonight.

And Chloe...Chloe was captivating. Beca wanted to stop staring into those blue eyes, but she couldn’t. She thought she would hyperventilate when Chloe walked towards her and pulled her in for a hug.

“Hey Beca.”

She closed her eyes involuntarily at the sultry tone. It was a simple greeting. It wasn’t meant to turn her on so much, but Chloe Beale had magical powers. Beca was convinced. How else would she yield so much power over Beca’s senses? She felt warm hands holding her and never wanted them to let her go. She managed to stutter a response as she put her arms around Chloe, feeling the toned body under the smooth material. When they finally pulled apart Aubrey was rolling her eyes and Cynthia-Rose was staring at Chloe’s ass, nodding her head to herself.

“You look hot,” Chloe said, taking a sip of her drink. Blue eyes stayed fixated on Beca over her cup and a hand stayed resting lightly on Beca’s waist. She knew Chloe was trying to win her over. Chloe was looking her absolute best and the way she was looking at the freshman had her knees going weak yet again. Beca pulled at her ear spike. She couldn’t stop her eyes drifting down over Chloe’s body. She was met with a smug eyebrow raise when she looked back up, causing her to blush.

“You uh, you look good too.”

“I know,” Chloe said confidently with a wink before strolling back to Aubrey who was calling her to finish a story they had been telling.

Beca let out the breath she had been holding and gulped down half her cup of beer, hoping it would quench her sudden thirst. She gave a quick glance over to the _Trebles_ and spotted Jesse watching her with a goofy smile. He gave her a wave which she returned with a nervous smile. She wished he wasn’t so perfect. He had been such a sweet guy to her all year and was an ideal boyfriend...just not ideal for her anymore. Or ever really. He deserved a girl who would treat him how he deserved. Not a girl who had conflicting feelings and slept with a girl behind his back. She watched Jesse give Benji a hug, a proud look on his face. She figured he was praising him judging by their expressions and she felt more guilt hit her. Damnit, why did he have to be so damn nice. She blew a dramatic breath out and looked back again to Chloe, who’s mouth twitched into a brief scowl before she whispered something in Aubrey’s ear. Aubrey gave Beca a sneaky glare before breezily smiling at the group. Aubrey squeezed Chloe’s waist and called the girls in to do shots. She held up a bottle of tequila and started pouring the alcohol into a row of shot glasses she had arranged on the side of the stage.

Beca lurched forward as Fat Amy yelled out “fuck yeah” and slapped her on the back. She lost most of her beer on the ground with the movement and excused herself to refill again. Taking her time walking over, she listened to the _Bellas_ count to three, attempt a cheer in unison and down their drinks. She couldn’t shake herself out of her funk. Pretending to be fine and act normal around the girls just didn’t seem feasible to her.

Two girls from the _B.U. Harmonics_ a cappella group were chatting next to one of the kegs, one of whom was smoking. Beca hadn’t smoked much since her rebellious streak in her early teens but she was craving the nicotine now. Anything to help alleviate the stress. Also to delay going back to Chloe. 

“Hey could I bum one?”

The Sophomore faced her with an initial look of disdain and a desire to tell Beca to go buy her own. But when she saw how miserable the girl looked, she shrugged and obliged. Beca thanked her after lighting up and wandered off to the trees surrounding the amphitheatre. Jesse had mentioned before that he detested smoking and she didn’t need a lecture. She exhaled and leaned her head back against the bark of a large oak tree. She relaxed her shoulders and drew on the cigarette, watching the smoke curl around in the night air. The beer was starting to kick in so she was feeling a slight buzz. She could see Chloe from where she was standing. The Senior was scanning the crowd, clearly looking for Beca. Jesse was doing the same. Now he was making his way over to the Bellas...and talking to Chloe...and both of them were now looking around the crowd trying to spot her. Oh shit.

She took a last drag of her cigarette, stubbed it out and slugged her drink back to disguise the taste.

“Where’d you run off to?”

“Bathroom.”

Jesse nodded and put his arm around her as Chloe looked at her sceptically. Beca felt like her skin was crawling with Jesse’s arm resting around her waist. This mess was going to take a toll on her mental health. She was positive she was going to find grey hairs soon. What had they been talking about together? God, why was her drink half empty again? She needed another cigarette. She needed to change the subject, whatever it was.

“So are you seeing anyone at the moment, Chloe?”

Too fucking late. Why, Jesse, why? Yup, this was definitely detrimental to her mental health. Her eyes widened as Chloe smirked sadly.

“Not right now, Jesse.”

Beca remained frozen as Jesse gave Chloe a sympathetic smile.

“Well I’m sure you’ll meet the right guy soon.”

“Or girl,” Chloe corrected, losing patience with the guy who had his arm around the one person she wanted.

Jesse looked embarrassed. “Sorry, that was presumptuous of me. I didn’t know you were...”

She waved off his apology and chugged her drink, trying to keep her bubbly composure intact.

“Well whatever girl finds you will be lucky to have you.”

“Don’t I know it!”

They shared a laugh and clinked cups. Beca forced a smile when Jesse looked at her. This was not happening. She was picturing Jesse’s face if he found out about her and Chloe. Being in the same proximity as the two together was freaking her out. She should be happy to have him running his thumb over her hipbone, not wishing he would stop. Not wishing it was Chloe’s hands on her body instead of his. What was wrong with her?

“Chloe, I need your help with something.”

Beca and Chloe looked relived when Aubrey shouted over at her roommate. It was a blatant attempt to save Chloe which they were both grateful for. Beca knew the _Bellas_ captain must hate her right now. She was really messing with Chloe’s head. If it was _her_ friend, she’d want to kick her ass too.

Chloe waited until she turned away from the couple to exhale and share a look with Aubrey.

“Well that was fun. I am having the best time tonight. You know, I might just go bang my head off a wall to really complete the awesomeness.”

Aubrey was afraid to set her off even more so she just handed her a shot with a questioning shrug.

“Fuck it...”

Chloe knocked it back before wincing and coughing, watching Aubrey do the same through watery eyes. She felt a strong desire to get wasted tonight if she was going to have to watch Beca swan around pretending to be all loved up.

“Fuck her Chlo. Let’s enjoy our night.”

Aubrey gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek and pulled her over to the centre aisle where a crowd was dancing to the latest Calvin Harris song. Chloe threw herself into the music, swaying her hips to the beat and pulling Aubrey close to use as a dance partner. Her movements were being watched by Beca who wanted to come up behind Chloe and take charge, pushing Aubrey away. Then maybe take her back to her dorm and rip that dress off which was showing a serious amount of leg. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Jesse was watching her with a smile. Could he hear her thoughts? It was making her uncomfortable.

“What?”

“Nothing. You’re just...you’re beautiful.”

Her mouth twitched and she tried not to look sad. She didn’t want to admit it, but he was clearly falling for her more every day. While she was pulling away every second. College life was not supposed to be this complicated for her. In the background, Chloe was grinding back against Aubrey as the two were joined by more drunken _Bellas_. Howie and his Sorority friends joined in with the girls too. One of the guys put his hand casually on Chloe’s waist as they danced. Beca wanted to storm over there and break his arm off. She closed her eyes momentarily to shake away the violent image.

“Come on, let’s get a drink,” Beca said.

Jesse followed her obediently as she walked ahead. It allowed her the chance to drop her mask for a few seconds, letting the stress take over until he caught up with her again. He refilled her drink for her and held her hand. Chloe rolled her eyes as she watched him be the perfect gentleman until Aubrey spun her around hoping to distract her. Chloe tried to enjoy herself but it was difficult not to turn around and watch Beca. Either way it was breaking her heart.


	7. Chapter 7

The party was beginning to die down after two a.m. when most people had gone home. There were still a few groups scattered around and the DJ was packing up his gear. Two guys were sitting on stage jamming on guitars but were too drunk for anyone to take notice of them.

“So, do you maybe wana come over to mine later tonight?”

Beca froze at Jesse’s words. They were hanging out with the _Trebles_ and she had tuned out from whatever Donald had been telling the group. She wanted to scream _no_. She wanted to end this turmoil inside her head.

“Um...”

“I can’t stop thinking about last night. You were so hot, Beca.”

His kiss took her by surprise as did his tongue in her mouth. The taste of beer was strong from them both and he was spurred on by the alcohol in his system. Beca kissed back out of habit. She was supposed to kiss her boyfriend. She was supposed to _want_ to kiss her boyfriend. She tried to get into it but when she heard him moan against her mouth, her thoughts went straight to the moans Chloe had made when they had slept together and she had to pull back. His warm brown eyes were full of want and it killed her. She should be excited and look forward to time alone with him. Yet she felt panic rising inside. Sleeping with Jesse again was the last thing she wanted to do. It was getting a lot harder to lie to herself. Thinking or talking about sex in any context just made Beca picture a naked redhead straddling her. Every time. And it turned her on. Every time.

Damnit...

“I um, we’ve actually got a mandatory _Bellas_ sleepover tonight. A final bonding experience or whatever. Aubrey would kill me if I don’t go.”

Lying to Jesse was becoming too easy, she realised. He couldn’t hide the look of disappointment as she tried to remain flippant. She just wanted to go home alone, crawl under the covers and stay there indefinitely.

“Ah, not to worry. Well, how about a date night tomorrow night? I will even keep the movie references to a minimum.”

Oh damnit, that goofy grin. He was so adorable. She was already blowing him off tonight. Maybe by tomorrow she would be thinking straight again, so to speak. She frowned at the pun in her head and mustered up a smile, giving his hand a light squeeze. She had to try. Didn’t she? She just had to get over the whole Chloe thing, plain and simple.

“Sure. But if you go on a _Star Wars_ rant I’m outta there.”

“Deal,” he agreed with a wink, before kissing her again. The _Trebles_ gave a few cat calls until they broke apart, drawing attention to their group.

Beca looked up and her heart sank. Chloe was watching with tears in her eyes as Aubrey held her arm in support. She watched Chloe wipe her eyes and jog up the steps of the amphitheatre towards campus. Shit, shit, shit. Aubrey shook her head at Beca and chased after her roommate. She felt like a grade A bitch when Cynthia-Rose gave her a brief disappointed look. She knew she deserved it. God, she was going around in circles. She needed to make up her mind, this was getting ridiculous. Being in a relationship was new to Beca and she was doing a fantastic job so far.

Her hand was getting sweaty from holding Jesse’s. Maybe it was her racing heart. Was Chloe okay? At least Aubrey was with her. But what if she was really upset? Of course she was. She told Beca she was in love with her and there she was, kissing a dude in front of her all night. The thought of Chloe crying caused her chest to tighten. She felt a strong desire to see her and make it better. She just wished she was ready to acknowledge what it all meant. She shook Jesse’s hand away roughly and he gave her a questioning look.

“Cramp,” she lied, shaking her hand with a smirk. “Hey um, I gotta get going to the...the thing...”

She pointed a thumb back at the few _Bellas_ that were left. They were getting ready to leave which was perfect timing for her.

“Aw, already?”

“Yeah, you know how Aubrey is. Don’t wana piss her off any more this century.”

The more he wanted her to stay, the more she wanted to get out of there. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

“No worries. I can walk you.”

“No! No, I’ll head with the girls. You stay and make sure Donald doesn’t streak. Again.”

He laughed remembering the _Treble’s_ drunken antics from Halloween night as Beca prayed he would let it drop.

“You sure?”

“Yeah definitely.”

“Alright, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

She kept their goodbye kiss as brief as possible, conscious of his teammates watching them. Heading towards the steps, she followed the _Bellas_ that were just ahead of her. She walked casually until she was out of sight from Jesse, and the girls were gone ahead, taking a minute to rest her hands on her knees. Once she was able to release a steady breath again, she took off for _Stevenson Hall_. She couldn’t stop thinking about Chloe and the pain she had caused yet again. She looked back over her shoulder to make sure Jesse wasn’t following her and hurried towards Aubrey and Chloe’s dorm room. She hoped that’s where Chloe had run off to.

_“I love you Beca and I want to be with you...and if there’s any chance that you feel the same, I would hope that you would choose me.”_

Chloe’s words from earlier in the day were swirling in her head. There was no other side to Chloe’s story. She had laid it out for Beca, plain and simple. All of the confusion and hurt was a result of Beca’s actions and decisions. Chloe wanted her, which meant she would have to break up with Jesse if she were to make her happy. But how could she do that? This was her first relationship. She had never broken up with anyone before. Sure, it was becoming obvious that her relationship was doomed, but she still could not imagine having to do the hard part. Breaking Jesse’s heart. She wasn’t ready to be that bitch who dumped the sweet guy your parents would love. The slut who cheated on the nice guy everyone loves. Panic again. Her heart was pounding. It didn’t matter tonight. She just wanted to see her. Hold her. She missed that damn smile.

Beca stopped outside room 205 and knocked after fixing her hair and shaking out her hands.

Aubrey swung the door open with force, causing Beca to jump to attention. The freshman’s eyes were comically wide in fear of how the _Bellas_ captain was going to react to her presence.

“You have got to be shitting me.”

“Wait, Aubrey please,” Beca said, stopping the door from closing with her hand. “Let me talk to her.”

Aubrey glared and stepped outside into Beca’s space, closing the door behind her. She was fuming. The brunette gulped and wondered if the blonde was going to slap her.

“What the hell, Beca? Five minutes ago you’re sucking face with Jesse, now you’re trying to make a booty call –”

“Booty call –?”

“to my bestie? She doesn’t need you messing with her head like this.”

“I just wanted to make sure she was okay,” Beca replied defensively. She raised her chin in defiance, standing her ground against the blonde.

“She’s fine.”

“Aubrey –”

“Beca –”

This stand-off was getting frustrating. She appreciated that Aubrey was protecting her friend but did Aubrey really need to protect Chloe from _her_? Beca’s stomach was in knots at the thought of not being able to see Chloe tonight and she couldn’t acknowledge why. She dropped her shoulders and left out a defeated sigh.

“Please, I just want to talk to her.”

“It’s late, Beca. Just go home.”

Beca licked her lips and wished she didn’t feel so emotional. She was briefly hurt that Aubrey would expect her to walk across campus on her own at this hour, but more upset that she would not be able to see Chloe. The door opened, causing both girls to jump. Chloe rolled her eyes with a sniffle.

“You idiots can’t whisper for shit,” Chloe said before walking inside, leaving the door open.

They shared a sheepish look and followed her inside. Chloe sat on her bed in her pyjamas with her legs under her, a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. She had stopped crying but her eyes remained puffy. Beca crossed the room and took a seat next to her, taking in Chloe’s sad appearance with a sigh of relief. She couldn’t help but take in Chloe’s body in the skimpy tank top and shorts which received an irritated eye roll from the girl in question. Beca’s cheeks reddened and she looked away, catching Aubrey staring at her with her arms crossed on the other bed. 

Aubrey’s message tone beeped and she fired off a quick reply as she stood, sending one last glare at Beca.

“I’m going to Howie’s.”

“Um, you shouldn’t walk around alone, it’s kinda late.”

“Says the girl who turned up at our door two minutes ago.”

Beca shot back a dirty look as Chloe sighed, getting sick of their pissing contest. And they had been getting on so well, she thought sadly.

Aubrey toned down the attitude when she realised Chloe was getting annoyed. She fluffed her hair and grabbed her bag.

“He lives on the third floor,” Aubrey said as nicely as she could. “Chloe, I will be back in thirty seconds if you need me.”

Thirty seconds? Did Aubrey think she was going to murder Chloe? Beca huffed. Chloe smirked at the stupidity of her two friends. Then she grimaced when she remembered that’s all Beca was to her. A friend.

“It’s fine Aubrey,” Chloe drawled, taking a sip of her drink. Aubrey pointed a finger in warning at Beca who raised an eyebrow, leaning back on her hands.

“Guess I’m in the bad books again,” Beca quipped as the door closed behind Aubrey. Chloe’s mood darkened at Beca’s flippancy. She slammed her cup down on her bedside locker and Beca winced, knowing she had fucked up.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see if you were alright.”

Her reasoning seemed stupid now that Chloe was looking at her sceptically and clenching her jaw.

“Are you kidding me?”

Beca wasn’t used to Chloe snapping at her. There was a fire within those blue eyes and Beca toyed with the bed cover anxiously as they bore into her. She covered Chloe’s hand with her own but Chloe tore her hand away. Beca didn’t think it were possible for Chloe to glare any harder at her.

“You spent the night all over Jesse and then you think you can just waltz in here? Jesus Christ, I can smell his stupid after shave.”

Brunette waves fell around Beca’s face as she hung her guilty head. “I had to see you.”

“Why Beca?” Chloe asked before standing up. “Why did you have to see me? Do you know how hard it was for me to have to look at you two all night? And then he asks me if I’m dating anyone?” She scoffed as Beca watched on, ashamed. “‘Cause, you know, he’s so proud that he’s all loved up with his adoring girlfriend. How dare he pity me.” Chloe was pacing in front of the bed now, as she continued her rant. “As if that doesn’t make it even harder. I feel like some dirty little secret. I just wanted to –”

Beca stood in front of Chloe, taking a hold of her shaking arms.

“You wanted to what?”

“Don’t.”

Beca could feel her chest pounding once again. Was that always going to happen around Chloe? It sure felt that way. “I get so confused when you’re around.” Her voice sounded foreign to her body. Her head was spinning as she finally felt Chloe’s skin. 

She watched Chloe struggle with her anger. It was obvious that under the current resentment Chloe was displaying, there was love. That’s why the older girl was so passionate about the situation. Beca had spent the night debating in her head. Jesse or Chloe? Chloe or Jesse? What was the right thing to do? What did she want? W0hen she was with Jesse, she felt guilty and didn’t want to hurt him. Sure, she enjoyed his company and she was attracted to him. But when she was with Chloe, there was nothing else but her. She just wanted to forget everything in the world apart from the girl she was holding right now.

Chloe broke down Beca’s complex thoughts and stopped her fretting when she reached up and ran her thumb over Beca’s cheek, holding her neck lightly. Beca let out a shuddering breath and finally realised she craved this. Her eyes closed as her head relaxed into the touch. Overcome with emotion, Beca swallowed a lump in her throat and felt her eyes welling up. “I wish this wasn’t so complicated.”

The crack in her voice gave away her pain and she heard Chloe sigh.

“Well then un-complicate it.”

Chloe’s words were sharp but her voice was sympathetic. A nod was all Beca managed as she found herself moving closer to Chloe, her hands clinging to soft arms, afraid to let go.

“I want to.”

Chloe didn’t reply for a while, just watching Beca as the younger girl composed herself, her grip on Chloe’s arms steady.

“Do you want me?”

The butterflies were startling around Beca’s stomach now as the ramifications of that question ran through her head. The answer was most definitely yes but Beca couldn’t seem to remember how to speak as she found herself looking down at Chloe’s body, her hands involuntarily moving to rest around a slim waist. Beca’s heart was racing.

Chloe’s arms remained limp at her side in an act of defiance, despite the strong desire she had to wrap them around Beca. Chloe was waiting for an answer but the freshman seemed fascinated by her. Beca lifted her hand and ran a finger delicately over the scar on Chloe’s forehead, causing the senior’s eyes to close for a second. Beca let her hand continue its explorations until she was running a thumb over Chloe’s lips.

“I want you so bad, Chloe Beale.”

Chloe had almost forgotten the question she had posed and her heart jumped at Beca’s words. How was she supposed to resist this? She swayed lightly on her feet, falling closer into Beca’s embrace. She wanted Beca Mitchell more than she ever wanted anyone in her life. The spark between them was overwhelming. Hearing Beca say the words “I want you” made it impossible to resist her. But Chloe Beale was not going to be the other woman...the mistress...smiling politely at the doting boyfriend while she got the scraps whenever Beca decided. No, Chloe would be strong. Her eyes fluttered closed again as Beca leaned in to kiss her neck. Chloe found herself gripping Beca’s shirt as she tried to will herself to scream “no” and push the brunette away. All she managed was a moan as Beca’s lips left her neck tingling.

“I can _not_ stop thinking about you,” Beca said.

Chloe closed her eyes again. Beca was saying all the right things. If she didn’t stop Beca immediately she knew exactly where this was heading. As Chloe battled with her choices, she tugged on Beca’s shirt, causing the brunette to stop suddenly and lift her head back up. Their eyes locked for a moment before Chloe groaned with frustration. She grabbed the back of Beca’s head, pulling her in for a kiss. Beca took a second to catch up, grappling for a hold of Chloe’s body, before walking them back towards Chloe’s bed.

x x x x x x x x

Aubrey made her way back to the dorm room after three a.m. to check up on her roommate. Beca was pissing her off with all the mind games and if Chloe wanted the little punk thrown out, she would be more than happy to do the throwing. Nobody messed with her best friend. As she got closer to the room she heard a crash and a moan from inside.

“What the...?”

Aubrey quickened her pace, ready to tear some hair out of a certain DJ’s head when she heard another moan followed by Beca’s name being screamed out. She paused mid step and grimaced before blushing and doing a hasty about-turn. “You have got to be kidding me!” Aubrey growled, rolling her eyes and texting Howie that she was on the way back, retreating towards the elevator.


	8. Chapter 8

**Saturday morning**

Beca woke the following morning when she felt Chloe roll away in her sleep. As the cool air began to run over her naked body she became more aware, pulling the blanket over her chest. She took a moment to watch Chloe’s peaceful form before exhaling slowly, willing her mind not to explode into overdrive. Beca focused on the plain ceiling, running through last night’s events. She quickly went from blushing, thinking about the sheer pleasure she had experienced hours previously with Chloe, to frowning as she worried about what was to come.

There was no return for Beca to the land of denial. The ship had well and truly sailed when she couldn’t keep her hands off of Chloe Beale. Chloe sighed in her sleep, melting Beca’s heart just a little. Her head was beginning to pound from too much alcohol and lack of hydration but she would tend to that later. Right now, she just wanted a minute to put things into perspective, before life had to un-pause and she had to face up to reality.

This was really happening. She was back in bed, lying next to a very naked Chloe. Who had shown her quite vividly that she wanted her. And, oh yeah, who was in love with her. Beca smirked briefly before replacing it with a look of exasperation. She couldn’t last twenty seconds to process anything without getting distracted. She was hopeless.

Well if you can’t beat ‘em...Beca rolled over to spoon Chloe, running a hand over her bare shoulder and down to her waist. She gently moved Chloe’s hair from her neck and ran a few kisses over her warm skin. Hearing Chloe’s breath hitch, Beca smiled against her skin knowing she was awake. Beca felt Chloe pull her arm closer against her body with a contented sigh.

Beca gazed at Chloe in awe as the older girl turned onto her back to look up at her. She couldn’t help but ogle what was on show before finally looking into blue eyes when Chloe interrupted her with a shy “hey”.

She managed to return the greeting as she felt Chloe softly push her hair out of her face. Thoughts of the inevitable were warring with her desire to just stay in the moment and relish every second with Chloe. She really didn’t want to picture Jesse, how devastated he would be when she broke up with him. How hurt he would be when she told him why. 

It had gone from a reluctant _if_ to a more definite _when_ as soon as she had kissed Chloe again last night. She had to face up to the truth, that what she felt for Chloe could not be ignored. She had to man up and do the right thing for all of them. But God damnit, she was dreading it. Chloe was tracing Beca’s face and the brunette leaned into the touch, moving closer to lean over Chloe. She watched as Chloe gulped and her blue eyes welled.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Chloe shook her head and sniffled, blinking a few times to ensure no tears fell. “Nothing, it’s silly. I just...”

“You can tell me,” Beca said, her fingers resting lightly over Chloe’s heart, feeling the steady beat under soft skin.

“I um...I just don’t want this to be like the last time, when you...you know...”

“Ran out on you like the biggest chickenshit asshole ever?”

“Well I was just gonna say when you left, but your phrasing is much more eloquent,” Chloe teased, wiping under her eyes quickly.

Beca swallowed down a lump in her throat, adamant not to put Chloe Beale through any more heartache.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

There was so much more she wanted to say. So much she wanted to apologise for. But those few words were all she could manage this second without crying.

Chloe smiled back at her and they both leaned in for a kiss. It lasted a few minutes, both lazily enjoying the contentment. They pulled away, now lying on their sides facing each other. Beca could see the words _‘I love you’_ in Chloe’s eyes before the older girl had a chance to open her mouth. If those words were uttered again right now, there was no positive outcome. She couldn’t tell Chloe she was in love with her, when she was still someone else’s girlfriend. Yet if she didn’t say it back, that would be 0 for 2 in the unrequited love declarations for Chloe and there was only so much you could put a person through.

“Wait,” Beca said, placing a light hand over Chloe’s collarbone before giving the back of her neck a soft squeeze. Chloe shut her mouth abruptly, and her puzzled look was full of fear. Beca was also pretty sure Chloe had stopped breathing. “Before this gets any more serious...” She was floundering, struggling to find the right words for the girl who looked like whatever Beca said could make or break her right now. “I um...I wana do this right, Chloe.”

Chloe took a second before rolling her eyes with a smirk. “This has pretty much been the complete _opposite_ of doing it right, Beca.”

“Well, yeah, I mean, _yeah_ , but...” The brunette propped her head up with her hand. Chloe laughed at her, causing Beca to blush as she became more frustrated with herself. Chloe was playing with a woven bracelet on the brunette’s wrist and her touch was distracting her immensely. “Chloe,” she said seriously, more to gather her own thoughts then gain the other girl’s attention.

“Beca,” Chloe mocked, her eyes twinkling yet giving away uncertainty.

“You know there’s something I need to do before we can...I mean...”

Chloe put an end to the rambling with a kiss, satisfied once she elicited a moan from Beca. “I get it,” Chloe said. “I guess I just wanted to pretend for a few minutes that it was easy, ya know?”

Beca returned a smile and dropped her head to Chloe’s chest, just needing to feel protected from the outside world for a few minutes before she braved what she knew would turn into a shitfest of a day. She felt Chloe kiss the top of her head and closed her eyes with a sigh. Beca concentrated on the heartbeat next to her ear to tune out her incessant thoughts for a few minutes before getting out of bed with a sigh. Chloe propped herself up in bed casually, watching Beca as she tried to force her foot into a black Converse.

“So,” Chloe said when Beca sat on the bed next to her fully dressed, staring at the wall opposite them.

“Yeah,” Beca said, still staring blankly.

Chloe was beginning to feel self-conscious, and pulled the blankets to cover her chest fully. Beca turned to look at her and felt the familiar guilt spike through her body when she saw the uncertainty on Chloe’s face. She reached out and joined their hands, hoping it would offer reassurance.

“I’ll call you later,” Beca said.

Chloe nodded but Beca could see her holding back tears. She bent down and wrapped the naked girl into a hug, seeing the question Chloe was burning to ask written on her face.

“I’m not gona flake on you again,” Beca said, running her fingers through tousled hair to hold Chloe’s head.

“Okay,” Chloe whispered.

“Okay.”

“Beca -,” Chloe said, as Beca moved to stand from the bed. “Please don’t let me down.”

Beca’s heart sank again as she realised how much she had hurt Chloe. She was done toying with people’s emotions. She gave Chloe one last kiss and a determined nod before leaving.

x x x x x x x

**Saturday afternoon**

Chloe went to the library with Aubrey that afternoon, both to study and distract herself from thinking about Beca…or about Beca breaking up with Jesse… or Beca _not_ breaking up with Jesse and changing her mind...and Beca staying with Jesse and never seeing her again…or -

Aubrey cleared her throat, startling Chloe from her momentary downward spiral. Chloe gave an innocent shrug back to her roommate across the table and returned her concentration to her neuroscience notes.

Aubrey rolled her eyes at Chloe who not ten seconds later was tapping her pen on the table, staring into space, worrying her lip. Aubrey really did want to get a few hours of study done before going to the movies later with Howie. She didn’t want Chloe to throw away all the hard work she had put in over the past four years because she fell for an emotionally unavailable goth with attitude. She paused to stop herself from belittling Beca. It was just her protective best friend side trying to push through.

Aubrey adjusted her earphones, trying to absorb the information in front of her and ignore the fidgeting redhead. Chloe had filled her in on the latest with Beca when she had gotten home that morning. She was feeling almost as nervous as Chloe, waiting for Beca to make contact with her roommate. That freshman wouldn’t know what hit her if she hurt the human ray of sunshine Chloe Beale, who was now trying nonchalantly to check her phone under her books.

When Chloe’s phone rang an hour later, Chloe scraped her chair back loudly in her haste to walk outside. Aubrey watched Chloe pace outside the large glass windows, one hand shoved into the back pocket of her jeans, the other holding the phone tightly to her ear. Aubrey mirrored Chloe’s nervous state, chewing on a nail, her highlighter forgotten. After the longest minute, she watched Chloe’s face transform and get taken over by a warm smile. Aubrey was also pretty sure Chloe was wiping under her eyes as she laughed into the phone, running a hand through her hair. Aubrey watched her make her way back inside a few minutes later, her attempts at hiding her smile feeble.

Aubrey waited with an eyebrow raised, taking out her earphones as Chloe situated herself back at the table.

“So I’m guessing I don’t need to murder any freshmen today?”

Chloe rolled her eyes through her smirk and leaned across the table to give Aubrey’s hand a squeeze.

“We’re all good. She’s gone to her mom’s for a few days but…it’s done.”

“What does that mean?” Aubrey asked tentatively.

“It means…we can be together. She just wants to leave the dust settle first. Jesse’s a good guy.”

“He is, but you’re better Chloe Beale,” Aubrey said with a wink. “And hotter. He’ll be fine.”

“Thanks Aubrey.”

Aubrey managed another hour of study before telling Chloe to go home because her texting Beca every five minutes with a filthy smirk was making her queasy and she was _this_ close to throwing her highlighter at her. Chloe just laughed at her fellow Senior and kissed her on the head before breezing out of the library.

x x x x x x x

Aubrey spent the next week attending her last few classes as an undergraduate and studying as much as she could. She hardly saw Chloe who was busy with labs. The _Bellas_ had no more practice sessions so they had an impromptu party in Cynthia Rose’s dorm room on Tuesday night instead. Beca was still absent but had kept in constant contact with Chloe.

The next time Aubrey saw Beca she was just home from the library Wednesday evening. Chloe was lying in bed being straddled by Beca, making out. Thankfully fully clothed.

“Welcome back Mitchell,” Aubrey sighed, putting a hand over her eyes as she dropped her books onto her own bed. Beca had scrambled to stand next to the bed by the time she faced them again, as Chloe smirked at Beca’s awkwardness.

“Sorry Bree. We were just heading out for food.”

Aubrey raised an eyebrow, taking in Chloe now sitting back on her elbows with her ankles crossed.

“I mean, we got a little distracted, sure,” Chloe finished lamely.

“I’m just glad you two sorted your shit out. We were not ending our _Bellas_ careers with _any_ negativity. Especially when it will fall on Beca to steer the team to a consecutive Championship next year.”

“Pressure, what pressure,” Beca mumbled, rubbing her neck. Chloe reached over and took her hand, watching Beca relax instantly.

“You wana grab some Thai food?”

Aubrey declined, assuring them that Howie was on the way over with take out.

“You know, I’m secretly gona miss her hounding me next year,” Beca said as they made their way to the Thai restaurant just off campus. “We’re gona be lost without you two.”

“Georgia State is 40 minutes away, I’m gona be available as an unofficial Bellas consultant whenever you need.”

“Hmm,” Beca said, linking their arms, a thrill running through her at how right it felt to touch Chloe. “I think we’re going to need many consultations.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh most definitely. And as Captain, I’m gona need many private consultations.”

Chloe stopped them to take a hold of Beca. “This sounds very time consuming. I think I’m going to require a payment of some kind?”

“I can think of something.”

Every time Chloe kissed her, Beca felt the guilt ease a little more. She was not one for making out in public but the rest of Barden campus faded in her mind when Chloe continued to kiss her and pull her closer. Beca wasn’t ready to say those important words back yet, but she knew in her heart that she loved Chloe, and that Chloe would wait for her. Sure, they would inevitable run into Jesse in a few weeks which would lead to another guilt trip and Beca locking herself away for almost two days, but they would endure it. They had something worth fighting and sticking together for.

“You owe me twenty bucks, Stacie,” Fat Amy said from across the street, putting out her hand smugly. “Making out on campus before the week was out. I knew Bhloe wouldn’t let me down.” Stacie cursed under her breath as they watched the two _Bellas_ stop their embrace to rest their foreheads together. “Oh my God, barf. Beca is such a sap.”

They kept walking, passing the oblivious new couple. Chloe took Beca’s hand and lead her forward. Beca was only too happy to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed it, let me know what you thought of it, I'd appreciate the feedback! x

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you guys think. Will post next chapter soon.


End file.
